Method for making metal spools



Oct. 28, 1958 L. COHEN METHOD FOR MAKING METAL SPOOLS Filed Feb. 27, 1956 IN VEN TOR. L E ONARD COHEN ATTORNEY United States Patent METHOD FOR MAKING METAL SPOOLS 7 Leonard Cohen, Philadelphia, Pa. Application February 27, 1956, Serial No. 568,056

1 Claim. c1. 29-513 My invention relates to the manufacture of metal spools employed as containers for wire and tape and, more particularly, relates to the method of assembling the flanges upon the core of these spools.

Metal spools of this kind are usually provided with a cylindrical core formed with a plurality of projecting tongues on each of its opposite ends. These projecting tongues are received in complementary slots formed in the sheet metal end flanges, and are bent over on the outside of the spool. Spools of this kind ordinarily require time and skill to assemble since the tongues not only must be aligned with the slots in order to permit them to pass therethrough, but also they present raw edges at a handling surface if not properly and uniformly bent over, and result in a defective spool presenting a handling hazard.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a method for assembling slotted flanges upon a spool core having projecting tongues and which will facilitate the fabrication of the spool.

Another object of my invention is to provide a method for uniting the spool elements and greatly strengthen the resultant spool.

Another object of my invention is to provide a method for assembling a metal spool whereby the hazards of protruding raw edges will be alleviated.

Other objects of my invention are to provide an improved method of the character described, that is easily and economically accomplished, which affords a sturdy construction, and which is highly effective in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, my invention' consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an arbor press which is used in accomplishing my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing a pair of dies mounted upon the end flanges of a spool.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the elements of the spool prior to assembly.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the assembled spool.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the manner in which the projecting core tongues are curled toward the flange face.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the die.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, I show, in Fig. 3, a metal spool having a tubular core 12 with projecting tongues 14 extending from each end, and a pair of flanges 16 having radial slots 18, each of the flanges 16 being adapted to receive through its radial slots the complementary tongues 14. Each flange 16 is also provided with a central opening through which may be mounted an arbor or mandrel rod for winding the spool. In addition, the flanges are recessed at 22 beginning at. the inner diameter of the slots 18 whereby the recessed portion 22 will snugly fit within the inner diameter of the tubular core 12.

In Fig. ,6 I. show a circular die 24 having an annular groove 26 peripherally out about one face whereby the outer edge of the die will be recessed from its center portion 28. The center portion 28 is adapted to snugly interfit with the recess 22 in the flange surface. The annular groove 26 has a mean diameter slightly greater thanvthe mean diameter of the tubular core 12 to insure that the tongues 14 will be curled outwardly when the die is applied under pressure. A tapped hole 30 extends through the die and a bolt 31 is threaded therein. The bolt 31 not only provides a means for affixing each die to the upper and lower platens 32 and 34 respectively of the arbor 36, but also the bolt head is adapted to snugly interfit with the-central opening 20 in the flanges for centering purposes.

In the arbor, which I prefer to use, the lower platen 34 is mounted upon a motor driven cam while the upper platen 32 is fixed.

In order to assemble the spool, one flange is placed upon the die 24 in the lower platen whereby the center portion 28 fits within the recess 22 of the flange and the bolt head 31 through the opening 20. The tubular core 12 is then set upon the flange 16 with its tongues 14 projecting through the radial slots 16. A second flange 16 is seated upon the upper end of the core, the tongues 14 projecting through the radial slots 18 and the flange recess 22. The tongues 14 are now adapted to be curled and press the particular flange against the core and to thus lock the flange relative thereto.

The parts are now forced together by the arbor pressing the dies toward one another and the tongues 14 will follow the arcuate face of the annular groove 26 in each die. As is clearly seen in Fig. 5, the tongues 14 are curled outwardly because of the mean diameter relationship between the grooves 26 and the core 12, and the tongue end will be rolled facing downwardly behind a lipped fold 38 adjacent the slots 16. Any tendency of the core to collapse inwardly during the imposition of longitudinal pressure upon it, is stabilized by the action of the center portion 28 of the dies within the flange recesses 22.

By the method described, each end of the core 12 is firmly locked within the flange and the outer surfaces of the flanges are free of any raw edges. A strong and rigid arrangement is thus provided and a speedy assembly of spools is assured.

Although my invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

A method for assembling a metal spool comprising the steps of stamping a pair of sheet metal flanges, forming a plurality of arcuate radially extending slots in each flange by punching a like plurality of lipped folds from the metal sheet whereby an angular lip will extend inwardly from the outer periphery of each slot, simultaneously forming a circular depression at the center portion of each flange registering with the inner diameter of the slots, forming a plurality of tongues on a tubular metal core outwardly projecting from each end thereof complementary with the arcuate radially extending slots, providing a pair of dies, each with an arcuate annular groove therein peripherally extending about the die face, the mean diameter of the annular groove being slightly greater than the mean diameter of the tubular core, the center portion of each die snugly interfitting with the depression in the flange surface, mounting the dies in 3 t t the upper and lower platens respectively of anranber press, inserting one flange upon the lower die with the center portion thereof interfitting with the depression, vertically positioning the tubular core with the tongues at the lower edge extending through the slots in the bottornfiange andthe inner diameter of the cotteinterfitting iwith' the outer peripheral surface of, the depression, mountingjhe second flange upon'the top of the corewith thetonglues of the upper edge thereofhextending throughlhe slbts and the inner diameter of thecoreinterfittin g with the outer peripheral'surface of the depression intthe top flange, and simultaneously urging the dies toward one another axially with the core until the tongues are curled outwardly and the tongue edges are i n abutment with the respective flange outer, surface in a lineparallel thereto-behind'the respective nrcuate, angulartlips, the

4 leading edge -of the lips bearing againsbtheoutendiameter of the core within the respective curl whereby the 'metalspool is formed in a single compressing operation.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,562,419 Bowen Nov. 17, 1925 1,645,701 Hopkins. Oct. 18, 1927 2,047,434 Schurmann July 14, 1936 2,126,053" Sprigings Aug. 9, 1938 2,343,389 Stahl Mar. 7, 1944 2,656,730 Mitchell Oct. 27, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 20,162 France Jan. 25, 1917 

